Thursday, September 17, 2015

SACRAMENTO
– The
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) honored 92
employees today during its annual Medal of Valor Ceremony. The Medal of Valor
is earned by employees distinguishing themselves by conspicuous bravery or
heroism above and beyond the normal demands of correctional service. The Medal
of Valor is the highest honor CDCR bestows upon its employees.

Silver
Star recipients include Correctional Officer Alex Pizarro of California State
Prison, Sacramento (SAC), whose fast actions and quick thinking saved a fellow
officer from being trapped in a cell with three inmates armed with a weapon.
Correctional Lt. Dean Shankland, Correctional Sergeants Daniel Lightfield and
Kenneth Blessing, and Correctional Officers Christopher Drake, Desmond Browne,
Joel DeFazio, Josef Johnson, James Lewis, Kenneth Heal, Mark Churray, Matthew
Orpesa, Paul Bettencourt and Tyrome Johnson, also from SAC, were honored with a
Unit Citation for safely removing a violent inmate from a cell in which he had
started a fire.

“The
employees we are honoring today are testaments to the genuine concern,
compassion and commitment of which we are all capable,” said CDCR Secretary
Jeff Beard, “While facing danger or adversity, several of these men and women
have demonstrated split-second decision-making, bravery and integrity. Others
have shown a level of teamwork so very necessary to rise to the unexpected
challenges that life can bring. In all cases, their actions were above and
beyond the call of duty. Today’s honorees, their noble acts and innovative
ideas are an inspiration to us all.”

Staff
members from state prisons, parole offices and various divisions received
awards at the First Baptist Church of Elk Grove Community Center. In addition
to the Medal of Valor, CDCR awarded Distinguished Service Medals, Unit
Citations and Bronze, Silver and Gold Corrections Stars.

The following is a
complete list of 2015 award winners:

Medal
of Valor

The
Medal of Valor is CDCR’s highest award, earned by employees distinguishing
themselves by conspicuous bravery or heroism above and beyond the normal
demands of correctional service. The employee shall display great courage
in the face of immediate life-threatening peril and with full knowledge of the
risk involved. The act should show professional judgment and not jeopardize
operations or the lives of others.

The
Corrections Star (Gold) medal is the department’s second-highest award for
heroic deeds under extraordinary circumstances. The employee shall
display courage in the face of immediate peril in acting to save the life of
another person.

The
Corrections Star (Silver) medal is the department’s third-highest award for
acts of bravery under extraordinary or unusual circumstances. The
employee shall display courage in the face of potential peril while saving or
attempting to save the life of another person or distinguish himself/herself by
performing in stressful situations with exceptional tactics or judgment.

The
Corrections Star (Bronze) is the department’s award for saving a life without
placing oneself in peril. The employee shall have used proper training
and tactics in a professional manner to save, or clearly contribute to saving,
the life of another person.

The
Distinguished Service Medal is for an employee’s exemplary work conduct with
the department for a period of months or years, or involvement in a specific
assignment of unusual benefit to the department.

Loran
E. Sheley,
Research Program Specialist III, and Denise M. Allen, Research Manager,
Office of Research

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

﻿

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) will honor 92 employees from across the state at 10 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 17, during the 31st annual Medal of Valor Ceremony.
During the ceremony, three employees will be recognized with the highest award given by CDCR – the Medal of Valor.

The Medal of Valor is earned by employees distinguishing themselves by conspicuous bravery or heroism above and beyond the normal demands of correctional service.

This year’s Medal of Valor recipients include youth correctional counselors who fought off an attack by inmates trying to get keys, and a correctional sergeant who saved the lives of motorists by shooting an armed carjacker who had already killed two people.

In addition to the Medal of Valor, CDCR will award Distinguished Service Medals, Unit Citations, Bronze, Silver and Gold Corrections Stars and Correctional Officer and Supervisor of the Year awards.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

The
California Rehabilitation Oversight Board released the 16th report regarding
the progress made by the California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation (CDCR) to provide and implement various reentry, parole, mental
health, substance abuse, education, and employment programs.

The report covers CDCR’s progress between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015 and commends
the department for implementing all four recommendations contained in last year’s
report. The Board also provided four new recommendations to improve
rehabilitative programming statewide.

Monday, September 14, 2015

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) will award a total of $3 million in grants to enhance innovative programs and
increase volunteerism in prisons. The
grant funding is intended to provide volunteers and nonprofit organizations who currently operate rehabilitative programs
in California prisons with the resources necessary to replicate the programs at
one or more other prisons.

“Programs that focus on the rehabilitation of inmates have proven
to reduce recidivism substantially,” CDCR
Secretary Jeff Beard said. “We hope to
continue to expand the positive influence of these programs to prisons that
have fewer volunteer resources.”

Up to 50 percent of the grant will be awarded after March 1,
2016, and the remainder will be disbursed on or after November 1, 2016, upon
request of the grantee and upon confirmation by CDCR that satisfactory progress
is being made as demonstrated through mandatory progress reports.

At the end of the grant period, it is expected the programs will have
been implemented, additional volunteer resources developed, and the programs
will be sustainable in the future through the normal prison budget.

All
applicants are required to submit a Notice of Intent to Apply by 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 6, 2015.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

SAN QUENTIN – Administrators at San Quentin State Prison (SQ) continue to restore services to inmates as the institution deals with a number of confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease.

Inmates will be receiving hot meals in addition to boxed meals, and out-of-cell time for inmates has resumed. Inmates have been provided boxed meals only and have had limited movement since August 27 to help facilitate an investigation into an outbreak of the pneumonia-like disease.

All inmate services such as the law library and dental appointments have resumed, and officials are coordinating to get inmates back to their work and education assignments.

Inmates in the general population and reception center are still taking showers in portable units to avoid exposure to steam or mist that could contain the Legionella bacteria.

SQ officials are working to provide inmates in the Administrative Segregation Units and Condemned Row with access to the portable shower units.

Secondary water sources such as bottled water and water tanks will continue to be used for consumption until it is deemed safe to resume normal water use.

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia. It's caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila carried via aerosolized water, such as steam, mist and moisture. It is not transmitted from person to person and has a normal incubation period from two to 10 days after exposure.

As of Sept. 1, there are still only six confirmed cases of inmates with Legionnaires’ disease.

There are 85 inmates under observation for respiratory illness but who have not been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease and are being treated at SQ’s on-site medical unit.

Staff and inmates at SQ have been sent educational material to inform them of what they should do if they begin to display symptoms.

There have not been any confirmed cases of staff with Legionnaires’ disease.

SQ officials have been in communication with the Men’s Advisory Council, a representative group of inmates who advise and communicate with the Warden and other staff on matters of interest and concern to the inmate general population.

SQ is a reception center for new inmates to the California prison system. Intake has been temporarily halted since Aug. 27 as the investigation continues.

All inmate visiting and volunteer programs have also been halted as the investigation is ongoing.

SQ houses approximately 3,700 inmates, including low-, medium-, and maximum-custody inmates as well as condemned inmates. The prison also has approximately 1,800 employees.